Kenseikai

The Kenseikai was a short-lived political party in Japan that was active from 1916 to 1927. The party was united in its opposition to the conservative Seiyukai Party, and the party was financially supported by the Mitsubishi zaibatsu due to family ties to party leader Kato Takaaki. The party held a majority of seats in the lower house of the Diet of Japan upon formation, but it was angered when the government appointed the independent Terauchi Masatake as Prime Minister instead of Kato, leading to the Kenseikai forcing the parliament to be dissolved after a vote of no-confidence. The Kenseikai were isolated for almost a decade, and it opposed the Siberian Intervention and pushed for greater rights for labor unions. In 1924, the party again became the largest party in the lower house, and it formed a three-party coalition to acquire a majority. The party pushed for the 1925 General Election Law, which extended suffrage to all males over the age of 25, and it also supported reforms in labor laws and for the economic situation of the farmers. Despite its liberal image, the party supported the Peace Preservation Law of 1925, which clamped down on dissent. In 1927, the party merged into the Minsei Party.